7 aug 08

Todmorden Harriers joined the elite field of 460 fell runners that gathered on Saturday for the Borrowdale Fell Race, a counter for both the British and English Fell Running Championships.

The 17 mile race starts and finishes at Rosthwaite taking competitors up 6500ft of total ascent over some of the hardest Lakeland terrain including Bessyboot, Great Gable, Dale Head and England’s highest mountain Scafell Pike whose rocky summit was treacherously wet underfoot.

Weather conditions were relatively good for much of the route but low cloud made navigation difficult with even some of Britain’s top fell runners struggling to find their way. Rob Jebb had led the race until Great Gable but after losing considerable time on the descent allowed Simon Booth from Borrowdale Fell Runners to take the win for a record 10th occasion in 2.49.50. This added challenge also led to a high number of retirements from the race with nearly a tenth of the starters not completing the full distance, making the Todmorden performances all the more creditable.

Triumphing against the hard going in 39th place was Todmorden’s first man home, Jon Wright. He was followed in by team mates Alistair Rhodes-Dawson in 127th and just a few minutes further back by Chris Smale, and Phil Hodgson who along with Dave Collins and Mick Craven contributed to the V50 team finishing in an exceptional 5th place.

For the ladies Chris Preston was first over the line. After warming up on Tuesday with the 6.5 mile Whalley Nab Trail race, she completed the testing Borrowdale course with an excellent placing as 32nd lady. Jane Leonard continued a fine season finishing as 41st lady.

Provisional Todmorden Results:
39 Jonathan Wright (3.26.53); 127 Alastair Rhodes-Dawson (3.53.59); 131 Christopher Smale (3.57.17); 132 Phil Hodgson (3.57.38); 171 Dave Collins (4.07.16); 257 Christine Preston (4.34.39); 291 John Preston (4.39.50); 294 Mick Craven (4.40.05); 300 James Riley (4.41.14); 313 Jane Leonard (4.45.50); 416 Mandy Goth (5.47.10); 417 Louise Abdy (5.47.10).



Closer to home it was the roads of Cliviger that tempted four Harriers to pull on their running shoes on Sunday morning for the 30th Cliviger Recreation and Community Association’s 6 mile race. Starting at Mount Lane Sports Field the hilly route travelled via Red Lees Road towards Burnley before crossing Towneley Park and returning to the start via the main Todmorden road and a tough final climb up Red Lees.

First of the 115 runners completing the course in the warm conditions was Marc Hartley for Staffordshire Moorlands AC in 33:22.

Finishing in 98th overall and as first female V50 was Myra Wells in 55:06, ahead of Katie Jukes who was competing in her first race for the Todmorden club. A previous finisher of the New York Marathon, Katie completed the shorter distance in 57:07. For the men, Richard Butterwick was first Harrier home in 27th place, in a time of 40:02, followed in by Kevin Coughlan in 45:43 and 59th place.